22
3. Never rip freehand or use the miter gauge in
combination with the fence. Never rip
workpieces shorter than the blade diameter
without a push stick. Never remove the
cutoff piece with the saw blade rotating.
4. Always use the saw guard, splitter and anti-
kickback pawls and make sure the splitter is
properly aligned. When wood is cut along
the grain, the kerf tends to close and bind
the blade and kickbacks can occur. NOTE:
A caution decal is installed on the guard and
splitter assembly warning of the hazard of
misalignment.
5. The ri p fence should be set for the width of
the cut by using the scale on the front rail or
measuring the distance between the blade
and fence (Figure 39). Stand out of line with
the saw blade and workpiece to avoid
sawdust and splinters coming off the blade
and a possible kickback.
6. If the workpiece does not have a straight
edge, nail an auxiliary straight edged board
to it to provide a straight edge against the
fence. To cut properly, the board must make
good contact with the table. If it is warped,
turn the hollow side down.
7. In ripping, use one hand to hold t he board
down and against the fence or fixture and
the other to push it into the blade between
the blade and the fence. If the workpiece is
narrow (less than 6") use a push stick or
push block. Never push in a location such
that the pushing hand is in line with the
blade. Move the hand serving as a hold-
down a safe distance from the blade as the
cut nears completion. For very narrow
ripping where a push stick cannot be used,
use a push block or an auxiliary fence.
8. Always push the workpiece completely past
the blade at the end of a cut to minimize the
possibility of a kickback.
9. In ri pping long boards, use a support at the
front of the table and a support or “tailman”
at the rear.
10. For work shorter than 12" or narrower than
6", use a push stick, or block, to push it
through between the fence and the saw
blade. (See page 25 for a filler piece
designed to add to the safety of ripping
narrow boards).
11. NEVER use the rip fence beyond the point
where the carriage is flush with the end of
the rails.
12. Have the blade extend about 1/ 8" above the
top of the workpiece. Raising the blade
above this point increases the risk of injury.
Figure 39